


Oh Glad and Fearful Signs of Bravest Welcome

by Mira



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-21
Updated: 2008-06-21
Packaged: 2017-10-15 14:27:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/161725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mira/pseuds/Mira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John was, Rodney decided, the still point around which he revolved, and so the entire universe as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oh Glad and Fearful Signs of Bravest Welcome

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [McSmooch LiveJournal Community](http://community.livejournal.com/mcsmooch/)

Rodney sat drowsy in the growing twilight, watching stars appear in the east. Ronon had helped him prop his bad leg up on another chair, cushioned with John's wadded-up overshirt, but now he was relatively isolated at the far end of the big balcony. Earlier he'd held Teyla's little boy as they watched his mother and the others. She had taken her son to bed, kissing Rodney's cheek before leaving him by himself. Now the evening breeze was coming up, so the celebration was slowly moving inside.

He was content to remain where he was and let the party ebb away from him. He'd enjoyed it at first; he always enjoyed being the centre of attention, but Jennifer had given him something to dull the ache of his leg and now he just sat. He remained aware of the others, of their relief and joy and sorrow, of the sounds of the ocean around them, of music drifting out Atlantis' many windows, yet he he felt a bit detached from them, too. Exhaustion, probably. Well, certainly. He knew he'd worked hard for this moment.

As a small boy Rodney had dreamt of saving his sister, his family, the world; as a young man he'd dreamt of procuring great honour for himself and his country; in his middle years he desired prosperity and respect. Now he had exceeded those earliest dreams, and he idly wondered if giving them up had somehow been the key to achieving them and more.

So much more, he thought with a sleepy smile. Whatever Jennifer had given him was working very well; his leg barely ached at all, nor did his battered and bruised body. Ronon had let him drink one mug of Athosian ale, which was more than he was allowed though not as much as he'd wanted, but it had been enough. Now he rested at the still point of Atlantis, or so it felt to him, as though the city were slowly revolving around him, the ocean, the world, the entire solar system configured for this one evening around him.

"Hey," someone's breath was warm against his ear, their hands comforting on his shoulders, and he smiled, and sighed. "You did good, Rodney," John said, and kissed his neck.

Rodney blinked himself a bit more awake, then stretched his arms over his head to loop loosely around John behind him. Twisting his head back, he saw John smiling at him, looking nearly as done in as Rodney, but glowing in the deepening night.

John was, Rodney decided, the still point around which he revolved, and so the entire universe as well. Even in his altered state of drugged exhaustion, he knew that was absurd, but so it felt, so he believed, and he waited, watching John draw nearer, until John's breath was on his face, and John's lips were on his mouth, and there, in the early night on the biggest balcony overlooking the easternmost pier, with all Atlantis rejoicing, he kissed John in a manner no one, not even John, could possibly mistake. _We're alive_ , his kiss said; _we made it, the city still lives, it's still our home, and here we are, here we are, here we'll stay._

"Sleepy," John said when they reluctantly parted. He stroked Rodney's hair. "Ready to turn in?"

Rodney thought of their room; it would be aglow in the light of the Athosian candles John pretended not to love, the bed too small but more than enough for the two of them. "I guess," he said, and let John help him up. "Don't forget your shirt," he murmured, leaning heavily against John. "Though you look good in that tee."

"I can't believe you're complimenting me," John teased. "This is your night, right?"

"Our night," Rodney corrected him, as they limped inside. "I'll share it with you."

"Thanks," John said, only a little bit sarcastically, Rodney thought. Then the enormous doors slid back and the roar of a hundred happy survivors rolled over them. The music of Radek's beloved _Už Jsme Doma_ inspired dancing by the Athosians and wild flailing by Atlanteans. A woman laughed, a man shouted, a bottle of something opened explosively, and Rodney smiled at them all, his friends, his allies, his family.

John squeezed his waist, and Rodney expected him to say something like _Party on, dude_ , but instead he felt another kiss on his neck.

"Oh, hell yeah," Rodney said, and kissed him back, and around them the galaxy swirled.

  


**Author's Note:**

> Title from [Oh Glad and Fearful Signs of Bravest Welcome](http://mirabile-dictu.slashcity.net/SGA/McSmooch2_poem.html) by Tess Gallagher.  
> Beta by [Hyvarken](http://hyvarken.insanejournal.com).  
> Happy birthday, [Ciderpress](http://ciderpress.livejournal.com).


End file.
